Yield: 16 silver dollar-sized pancakes

As much as I love teaching, I also love having the time on weekday mornings in the summer to make pancakes for breakfast, as I did this morning.  (I made a half batch which I shared with Minnie, the miniature Great Dane, so that I wouldn’t stuff myself!  I know, that’s terrible; but our gal has one heck of a metabolism, and peanut butter is fine for dogs.)

I made these beauties silver dollar-sized and garnished the sparkling plate with a sprig of pineapple sage from my garden.  (I love that herb; if anyone has a recipe that calls for it, please share!  In the meantime, I’m going to be thinking of a dish to create that will feature it’s slightly tropical-sweet, but distinctly sage-y, earthiness.)

For this recipe, I used a bit more baking powder and baking soda than I usually do for extra lift to counteract what could have been a little heaviness from the oats.  The result is light, but still toothsome.

1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a devout fan of spelt flour)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats

3 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter, warmed slightly in microwave

Vegan butter and canola oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Accompaniments:  Jelly or jam (I like apricot “pure fruit”) and optional vegan sour cream

Garnishes: roasted and lightly salted peanuts and sprigs of herbs (I like pineapple sage)

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a small bowl, whisk together soymilk and warmed peanut butter.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soymilk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces the chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make pancakes, about five to six at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter.  Serve each pancake topped with jelly or jam, optional vegan sour cream (I highly recommend), and a peanut if desired.  (Note: if you think the nut in the photo looks like a pistachio, you’re right!  We were out of peanuts.)

Yield: 8 pancakes

Nope, “doughnut-pancakes” is not a misprint.

I was inspired to make these scrumptious breakfast treats recently while watching “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”  On the program, the chef made a nutmeg-flavored muffin batter and, when the muffins were baked, removed them from the tin, dipped them in butter, and rolled them in cinnamon-sugar.

My mind instantly translated them into my beloved pancakes, going a little easier on the butter and cinnamon-sugar.  I started with my go-to pancake batter, added lots of ground nutmeg for that distinctive cake doughnut taste, and then simply brushed the tops of each one with a little vegan butter and a generous sprinkling of natural sugar mixed with ground cinnamon.  They need no syrup, as the combination of the tender pancake, silky butter and crunchy topping are all any pancake- or doughnut-lover could ever want.

As they cooked, these doughnut-cakes filled the kitchen with a homey, heady aroma, very welcome on this gray, frigid day in March with sleet audibly pelting against the windows.

Topping:

1/4 cup natural sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I actually like to use 4 tablespoons, as sometimes the pancakes will be more absorbent than others, and use any leftovers for another purpose)

Pancakes:

1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a new and devout fan of spelt flour)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

3 tablespoons natural sugar

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (freshly ground, if possible)

1/2 teasopon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

additional vegan butter and canola oil for frying

Preheat the oven to warm. Line a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper.  Make topping by mixing together sugar and cinnamon in a small cup.  Set aside.  In another small cup, melt butter for about 20 seconds in microwave, and set aside.  Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda.  Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear around the edges, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to lined baking sheet to brush the tops with butter and sprinkle generously with sugar mixture.  Translate to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil, pancake batter, butter and cinnamon-sugar.

Yield: 8 pancakes

Just in time for your weekend breakfast is my latest pancake iteration…

I really did eat something besides pancakes last weekend. In fact, I have a delicious black bean salad to post soon and I would post my Vegan Lemon Verbena Meltaway cookies, only I forgot to photograph them before they were all eaten (we had a party Sunday night). I’ll make them again soon, though, as they were so perfect for summer and there is a lot of lemon verbena growing in our garden.

You could certainly substitute some lemon zest, but I wouldn’t know how much; just to taste I suppose. But lemon verbena imparts a little different taste. I think it’s a little earthier somehow and not as astringent (though there’s nothing wrong with a little astringency!).

So, if you can get hold of a lemon verbena plant, I would highly recommend it, as it has many tasty uses. This weekend alone, I made both hot and iced tea with it in addition to the cookies and these pancakes. Plus, I have all kinds of other things in mind, including salad dressings and savory dishes.

For now, though, back to the Vegan Lemon Verbena and Blueberry Pancakes: